Small victories add up for parents of children with disabilities

Mary Kippenhan was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy when she was 2. She is now able to walk and is participating in the “Life Without Limits 5K Walk and Roll.”

Jim Dorman

Mary Kippenhan, 7, of Rockland, plays soccer, takes gymnastics classes and loves to sing “Tomorrow,” “Maybe” and all the songs from “Annie” – her favorite musical. Perhaps, it’s no surprise that Mary would be drawn to a musical about a girl who remains optimistic in the face of difficult circumstances, as she has dealt with a few obstacles herself.

When Mary was 2, she was diagnosed with Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy, a chronic condition affecting movement and muscle coordination in the lower extremities of the body that can also affect speech.

“She could barely walk, she rarely spoke and we were told that her brain and her body were not on the same page,” her father George Kippenhan said. “It was then that we were introduced to the wonderful and time consuming world of physical, occupational and speech therapy.”

By age 3, Mary was getting therapy four times a week, up to three hours a day.

Her parents soon learned that there were no quick fixes or magic solutions. They would have to do the very best they could to help their daughter improve.

“We were told by every doctor, nurse and therapist that Mary needed to get consistently stronger, both physically and mentally,” he said. “And, we were often reminded that we would not see changes over night.”

But, gradually, Mary’s hard work and the hard work of her therapists paid off. In time, “walking became running; jumping became skipping,” Kippenhan said. “And although it was tedious, the daily practice of sounding out vowels resulted in many small victories.”

Although Mary doesn’t know what Cerebral Palsy is, she knows that her classmates don’t have to wear ankle foot orthoses and twister cable leg braces eight to ten hours a day. But, her parents explain that everyone is different – like one person having to wear glasses while another one doesn’t.

Like many parents of children with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, the Kippenhans have gotten pretty good at accentuating the positive.

In May, Mary was chosen to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at Jefferson Elementary School, in Rockland, where she studies.

“To some parents, this might not be the biggest deal in the world, but Michelle and I went to school as if Mary was starring in the school play,” he said. “Watching our shy little girl with speech issues deliver the Pledge of Allegiance over the loud speaker was one of those little victories that just make you so proud.”

Mary lives with her parents George and Michelle Kippenhan and her younger brother Scotty Kippengan. They are participating in the “Life Without Limits 5K Walk and Roll” Sun, June 3, at Castle Island in South Boston. Donations will assist in providing programs and services for people with disabilities and their families.